Scientists consider biobutanol a more efficient alternative to corn-based ethanol

"A group of researchers at Tulane University is working to develop biological methods for producing butanol that might ultimately lead to widespread use of the chemical as a fuel generated from waste materials rather than nonrenewable fossil fuels.

Once the researchers determine the best bacteria for producing biobutanol, they intend to genetically modify them to produce higher yields of the chemical and to digest cellulose so biomass sources that might have otherwise wound up in landfills can be used to produce fuel.

Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute, said butanol could offer a way around many of the problems that plague ethanol, an alcohol already in widespread use as a fuel source. "